Analog to digital converter and counter for fluid application



R. FRANKLIN Dec. 14, 1965 ANALOG TO DIGITAL CONVERTER AND COUNTER FOR FLUID APPLICATION Filed 001:. 24, 1962 United States Patent 3 223,324 ANALOG To DIGITAL CONVERTER AND COUNTER FOR FLUID APPLICATION Richard Franklin, Norwalk, C0nn., assignor to Sperry Rand Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 24, 1962, Ser. No. 232,715 1 Claim. (Cl. 235-201) This invention relates generally to the field of fluid devices. More particularly, the invention relates to a unit capable of providing a pattern of fluid pressure which represents in binary form the number of increments of motion of a first member relative to a second member. Such a unit can be used to encode from mechanical to fluid pulse. The unit is also capable of operation as an adder or .subtractor presenting in the form of a binary pattern of fiuid pressure the sum or difference of a plurality of incremental motions of one member relative to another.

The exploration of components which will perform the various logical functions presently handled by electronic or electro-mechanical devices, but which use a fluid as their operating medium, has expanded considerably in recent years. The present invention is designed to provide a unit which might, for example, act intermediate a keyboard and a fluid logic data processing unit to receive information from a keyboard, e.g., by manual depression of a keyboard key, and present this information in the form of a fluid pressure pattern able to be manipulated by the data processing unit.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a unit which will present a pattern of fluid pressure representing in binary form the number of increments of motion of one member relative to another.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a unit which will present a pattern of fluid pressure representing in binary form the sum and/or difference of a plurality of displacements of one member relative to another.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a unit which will provide a unique pattern of fluid pressure for each diiferent displacement of one member relative to another by a fixed increment or multiples thereof.

Briefly stated, the invention provides first and second blocks, one surface of one sliding against a surface of the other. The second block may be considered stationary. This block has formed therein a number of groups of channels equal to the capacity of the unit. Thus, if the unit is capable of providing 2 different patterns of fluid pressure, there will be N different groups of channels. The first group would include 2" discrete channels, the second group 2- channels, etc.

The diameter of each of the channels may be expressed in terms of an arbitrary unit D. Each of the channels in the first group has a diameter 2 Each of the channels in the second group has a diameter 2 D, etc. The spacing between adjacent channels Within each group of channels is equal to the diameter of the channels of that group. The first block has one channel formed therein for each of the groups of channels in the second block and the diameter of each of these channels is equal to 2 D.

' 2, occurs on every alternate increment.

3,223,324 Patented Dec. 14, 1965 Each channel in the second block is connected between the sliding surface of the block and an output common to its group of channels. The channels in the first block are adapted to be connected to and to communicate between a source of fluid pressure and the sliding surface of that block.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will become clear when the following description is read in accompaniment with a single figure representing a preferred embodiment thereof.

The scope of the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the appended claims.

The single figure shows an embodiment of the invention to convert a mechanical displacement to a pattern of fluid pressures which will represent in binary form the extent of the motion. In addition, the embodiment shown in FIGURE 1 will, within its capacity, provide a pattern of fluid pressures which represent the sum or the difference of two separate displacements. Such displacements could, for example, be generated by the depression of a key-on a keyboard, for example the keyboard input of a data processing unit or an adding machine, etc.

The unit shown in FIGURE 1 is capable of presenting in binary form the values from 0 to 15. A simple extension of the concept could increase the range of values capable of being handled by the unit to, for example, 31, 63, or in general, 2 -1, where ND would represent the maximum displacement required between the two blocks. In that expression, D is the basic unit of displacement between the two blocks.

The table of binary patterns representing the values 0 to 15is as follows:

Decimal value: Binary value 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 3 1 1 0 O 4 0 O 1 0 5 1 0 1 0 6 0 1 1 O 7 1 1 1 0 8 0 O 0 1 9 1 0 O 1 10 0 1 0 1 11 1 1 0 1 12 0 0 1 1 13 1 0 1 1 14 O 1 1 1 15 1 1 1 1 As is well known, the occurrence of unit values within any order of the binary pattern is regular and defined for that order. Thus, the unit value in the first order, i.e., The unit value in the second order is present for two consecutive increments. Similar observation can be made for every order constituting the binary pattern.

The unit of the drawing implements this well known pattern to provide a simple inexpensive counter or addition-subtraction unit. A first or selector block 10 is provided, which moves relative to fixed block 11. The manner in which the two blocks are moved relative to one another is not a part of this invention. Selector block 10 includes a fluid inlet 13 which communicates with each of N vertically disposed channels, N being the maximum desired capacity of the unit as given by the relationship 2 -1. In the illustrative embodiment N:4.

These four channels are respectively numbered 21, 22, 23 and 24, and connect to inlet 13 through header 17. Fixed block 11 has an output passage for each order included in the binary representation and in the instant case, there are four such orders. Their respective output passages are identified by reference numerals 25 through 28.

There are four groups of channels in block 11, one associated with each of output passages 25-28 and associated with separate ones of channels 21-24 of block 10. The first group includes eight vertically disposed equally spaced channels, the group being identified by reference numeral 29. Each channel in group 29 has the same diameter and each is associated with output passage 25 through connecting header 30. The diameter of each channel in channel group 29 is the same as the diameter of vertical channel 21 in selector block 10, with which they cooperate, and each one of channel group 29 is spaced from its predecessor a distance equal to the diameter of the channel itself.

As selector block 10 is moved in the direction of the arrow relative to fixed block 11, in increments equal to the channel diameter, every alternate increment a different one of channels 29 will communicate with fluid inlet 13 through header 17. The other end of each of channels 29 communicates with output passage 25 through connecting header 30. It will be appreciated that the spacing of channels 29 together with their diameter function so that with a given incremental motion of selector block 10, passage 21 will cause a pattern of fluid pressure through output passage 25 corresponding to the pattern of 1s and s in the 2 or first order in the chart set forth above.

Associated with vertical channel 22 in selector block is a group of four vertically disposed channels, 31. One end of each of these four channels communicates with output passage 26 through a connecting header 32. Each of the channels in group 31 are equal in diameter and each has a diameter that is twice that of any of channels 21-24 and 29. Again, as block 10 is incrementally displaced relative to block 11, the pattern of fluid pressure presented at output passage 26 through connecting header 32 and channels 31, channel 22, header 17, and inlet 13 will correspond to the pattern of 1s and 0s in the 2 or second order of the table set forth above.

Associated with channel 23 in selector block 10 is a group of two vertically disposed channels 33 which communicate with output passage 27 through connecting header 34. Each of channels 33 are equal in diameter and the diameter of each is four times that of channels 21-24 and 29 and twice that of channel 31.

The space between channel 23 in the position shown, and channel 33, is such that block 10 would have to be displaced relative to block 11 three increments before fluid applied to inlet 13 would appear at output passage 27 through connecting header 34, etc.

The spacing and diameter of channels 33 in cooperation with the incremental displacement of blocks 10 and 11 will provide a pattern of fluid pressure of output passage 27 which corresponds to the pattern of ls and 0s in the 2 or third order of the table set forth above.

In a similar manner, a single channel 35, having a diameter eight times that of channels 21-24 and 29, is associated with channel 24 and is connected to output passage 28 through intermediate header 36. The pattern of fluid pressure at output passage 28 will correspond to the pattern of 1s and 0s in the 2 or fourth order of the table set :forth above.

In the position shown in FIGURE 3, and assuming that a binary 1 is represented by an increase in fluid pressure from the ambient pressure, there will be no pressure increase at any one of output passages 25-28, corresponding to the decimal value zero of the chart set forth above. When selector block 10 is advanced a distance equal to the diameter of channel 21 that channel will be in registration or in line with the first one of channels 29 and an increase in fluid pressure may be detected at output passage 25, the pressure at inlet 13 communicating through header 17, channel 21, channel 29 and connecting header 30. Each of channels 22-24 will have advanced one step to the right of the position shown in the diagram but none of them will yet be in registration with any of their associated channel groups in fixed block 11, groups 31, 33 and 35 respectively.

On the next increment of selector block 10 to the right channel 21 will be in between the first and second ones of channels 29, and a fluid pressure increase will no longer be observable at output passage 25. Channel 22, however, will now be in registration with one half of the first of channels 31 and an increase of fluid pressure will be apparent in the output passage 26 from fluid inlet 13, header 17, channel 22, and connecting header 32. Channels 23, 24 will still not have any eflect upon their associated passages 27 and 28. After two increments, then, the pattern of fluid pressure at output passages 25-28 will be 0100.

After the next incremental motion of selector block 10 to the right, channel 21 will again be in registration with one of the channels in channel group 29, this time the second one, while channel 22 will remain in registration, this time with the second half of the first channel of channel group 31. Channels 23 and 24 remain ineffective. After three increments, then, the pattern of fluid pressure at output passages 25-28 is 1100 or the binary third set forth in the table above.

It will be clear from the above that with any given pattern of fluid pressure present at output passages 25-28 any value may be added thereto by moving selector block 10 to the right relative to block 11 an appropriate multiple of the unit increment and, so long as the capacity of the mechanism is not exceeded, the new pattern of output pressure will represent in binary notation, the sum of the increment and the initial value. It is also clear that subtraction with this unit can be directly performed simply by moving selector block 10 to the left, though the embodiment shown is capable of handling only positive results.

Before concluding, it should be noted that while block 10 has been spoken of as the moving block and block 11 as the fixed block, this is not intended to be a limitation on the invention. All that is required is relative motion of the two blocks in incremental units. In addition, while the word diameter has been used in speaking of the various channels, the channels need not be circular but may be rectangular or any other shape and for the word diameter the word width could be used. Finally, it should be noted that the channels in block 10 need not be equal to the basic unit of incremental displacement of the two blocks but could be less than that basic unit.

While what has been shown and described above is believed to be the best mode and a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations such as the ones described above may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is intended to be limited to the appended claim.

I claim:

A fluid device, comprising in combination, first and second blocks having abutting surfaces, a source of pressure, said first block comprising N conduits equispaced and of equal width, each of said N conduits communicating between said source of pressure and said abutting surface of said first block, said second block including N output channels, said second block comprising a group of conduits for each of said N conduits of said first block, each of said conduits within a group communicat g 3c- 5 6 tween one of said N output channels and said abutting expression of said position is provided at said N output surface of said second block, each of said conduits in ha nel said first block having a width D, each of said conduits within a group in said second block having a width given References Cited by the Examiner by the expression 2 D wherein X represents the par- 5 ticular group from 1 to N, the number of said conduits UNITED STATES PATENTS within a group being given by the expression Z Where- 1,936,416 1933 Turnbull 235-5 8 in X represents the particular group from 1 to N, Where- 2,313,591 5/ 1943 Couffigual by when said first block is displaced in position relative to said second block in increments or multiples of D a binary 10 LEO SMILOW, Primary Examiner- 

